


Liebesfreud

by rchimedes



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Light Angst, Lowkey onesided madaleo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-17 00:57:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11840655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rchimedes/pseuds/rchimedes
Summary: Leo is still hesitant to return to music and Knights. Madara decides to help him in the best way he knows how - with music.





	Liebesfreud

**Author's Note:**

> "Liebsfreud", Love's Joy, is the violin music piece that accompanies the piano piece "Liebsleid", Love's Sorrow. ([here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps4jaqYOn9M) a video of the pieces together if you want to hear it!)
> 
> anyway let's just Pretend this is how the concerto event went. i love dying.
> 
> also, i'm new to the enstars fandom so if anything is ooc i apologize!! ; v;

The grating sound of plastic wheels against concrete, the scuffle of shoes from flight-weary travelers, and the glaringly unmistakable patter of feet as a young brown haired man makes a running dash into the waiting area of the airport, jumping clear over a set of chairs in the waiting area and landing completely on his feet. Bystanders stare in awe at the act, whispering among each other, completely unaware that such a feat is only to be expected of the young man that’s the leader of his academy’s track team.

“WE’RE HOME, **JAPAN** ~!” He cheers in fluent English, throwing his arms into the air with a wide smile.

“Oi-! Calm down, Mama! No, I mean - Madara!”

Madara blinks upon being called, turning to glance behind him. A set of green eyes stare, watching a redhead jog to catch up to him as he drags a rolling suitcase behind him clumsily.

“It’s 4am, half the people here aren’t awake enough for that... And neither am I for that matter.”

“In Leo-san’s case, wasn’t it because you’re still working on new song number 4?” Madara teases with a grin, throwing an arm around his companion’s shoulder as he begins to head towards the exit on the other side of the building.

Leo gives a small noise of complaint, but doesn’t deny it either. “That... It’s not as if any of them are perfected or anything, but I need to get it out. If I don’t, everything just becomes a mess of notes.”

Madara nods enthusiastically in agreement in return, inhaling deeply as the automatic doors of the exit open and they’re greeted with the crisp morning air. The sun is just starting to rise in the distance, peeking over the horizon - it’s a scene that reminds the taller how much he loves the country he calls his home, no matter how much he may end up leaving it for faraway places.

“In any case, I’ve already made arrangements for a place to stay! Allow me to lead the way, okay, Leo-san?”

“You do that without even giving me a heads up half the time.” Leo jokes in return, giving Madara a play nudge.

The other gives nothing in return but a cheerful smile, lifting his arms to rest behind his head as they walk in peaceful silence. A light wind brushes past them, sending the leaves of nearby trees rustling in its wake, the faraway bustle of the city as it starts to bloom to life. To be back in his hometown after being dragged to a handful of different countries by Madara, it was a little bit refreshing almost... He suffered the blistering heat in Egypt, below freezing temperatures in Antarctica, the humidity of some rainforest in Africa - thinking about how he had been through all of that and finding himself back in the bustling civilization of this familiar was almost laughable. Everything sounds different, feels different, even the very air feels different to his lungs when he inhales.

How to put it... He feels - good?

Ha, it’s almost _foreign_ for him to think that for the first time in what feels like forever.

“We’re here!”

The sound of Madara’s voice pulls him out of his thoughts, turning his head in the direction his friend is gesturing an arm towards. Nothing about it stands out from it aside from stairs that lead up to a second floor alongside the building, which Madara begins to climb up. Leo follows after curiously, watching as the brunet presses a key into a lock, turning it and opening the door.

Air conditioning hits them both immediately in the face as they step into the dark room illuminated by the rising sun peeking between the blinds to their right, coloring the room a warm orange. Blue eyes widen as Leo steps further into the room, leaving his suitcase standing vacantly at the doorway. A sleek black piano sits near the other side of the room, and alongside the wall is a bookshelf filled with what he immediately recognizes as music books of all kinds.

“This is... A music room?” He breathes, a hand hovering just above the cover of the piano.

“Yep! A buddy of mine in an orchestra said we could use this place for a while. That room over there’s got a living area that’ll suit us just fine.”

“This is a weird place to crash in for a few days.”

“Not really. There’s a competition happening in a music hall in a week not too far from here.”

Leo gives Madara an arch of a brow as he watches the brunet set his backpack down on the floor. “What does that have to do with staying here?”

“Well, you’re gonna be playing there. Duh!”

“I’m wh- Who said?!”

“While we were boarding the plane to come back here, I just ca~sually entered you in!”

“MAMA!” Leo tenses, staring at Madara and gaping as he watches the other walk further into the room casually. “You- you can’t just do that! I mean, you- I-...!” Him going back to music after everything, after running away from Yumenosaki, from _Knights_ ... His shoulders fall slack at the thought, brows furrowing with a pained expression. He didn’t feel he deserved it anymore, nor to keep giving those at Yumenosaki some **false hope** that he’d return. “I ca-”

“Don’t decide just yet.” Madara interrupts, tilting his head with a warm smile when Leo looks back up to meet his gaze. “Sleep on it for at least tonight. Whatever you choose, I’ll accept it.”

Leo falls silent, pursing his lips. He can’t even begin to fight the sincerity in Madara’s gaze, knowing it’s near impossible to fight the other when he has something in mind. He decides to sigh reluctantly instead, running a hand through his hair as he moves back to where his suitcase is still standing, grabbing the handle and starting to drag it across the floor in the direction of the living area. “Fine, fine, I’ll think about it...” He answers, soon giving an exaggerated pout. “You’re awful, I hope you know that.”

“Ya wouldn’t have me any other way!” Madara shouts after him with a childish salute.

The living space doesn’t have much, but it’s enough for the two of them, just as Madara said. Two medium sized couches face each other, separated by a coffee table, and to the right as you open the door is a small kitchen area. Leo sets his bag down near one end of the nearest couch, pausing when he notices a familiar case sitting vacantly on the other.

“That...”

“Ah, that’s mine!” Madara clarifies as he peeks into the room, trotting over to the case and opening it before procuring a violin. “A beauty, ain’t she? I’ll be performing with the Orchestra playing at the same music hall the competition is going on at, so I asked the guy letting us crash if he’d leave her here for me.”

“You really just decide everything on your own, don’t you?” Leo sighs before face-planting into the nearest couch. “I’m going to sleep, it’s still early.”

Madara’s snickering and muttering a quiet ‘sleep well’ is the last thing he hears before his thoughts drift off.

How many hours pass after that, Leo isn’t sure, but at some point he’s awakened by the undeniable sound of someone playing the violin in the room over. His eyes snap open, staring at the ceiling while keen ears listen to the tune it plays. It’s slow and soft, and the tempo is melancholic to the ears... There’s something almost sweet about it. He’s heard this before - _Dvorak’s Op. 11?_

Leo sits up at the realization, climbing off the couch and moving to stand in the doorway that separates the two rooms. He notices that someone has pulled up the blinds covering the window and opened it, a gentle breeze causing the drapes to flutter. Madara is standing near the window, body swaying almost like a dancer from where he stands in place, moving his bow against the violin strings.

It isn’t until a few more notes later Madara opens his eyes and notices Leo watching him, stopping abruptly and giving him a cheerful wave with his bow. “Oh, good morning, Leo-san! I didn’t notice you were awake.” He greets. “Did you want to play with me? Y’know, with the piano accompaniment.”

“Not really, you can keep going.”

“That’s what you say, but your hands are saying something different~” The brunet teases with an amused snicker, breaking into a wider grin when Leo turns to his hand resting against the door that’s tapping to the rhythm they both know is the continuation.

Leo’s face flushes as he snatches his hand away from the wall, clearing his throat as casually as possible. “I guess a little while wouldn’t hurt. It’s been a long while since I played a piece that isn’t my own.”

“I had a feeling you’d agree~” Madara hums, watching as his companion gives a dismissive wave of his hand and walks over to sit at the piano. Green eyes stare, picking up every movement of Lei’s hands as he pushes up the cover for the keys, tracing fingertips over the black and white keys. The shake of his hands, the stutter in the rise and fall of the redhead’s chest - he sees it all, but as always, says nothing; he feels it’s better to say nothing, for he believes that Leo will inevitably accomplish what he truly desires.

When the first key is pressed on the piano, Madara smiles, eyes closing as he listens the song Leo begins to play before he joins in soon enough.

Dvorak’s _Romance_ is a song a bit too slow for a composer as brash and forward as Leo, but as any _genius_ does, he adds his own flair to his playing Madara can’t help but find himself wanting to indulge in. The music piece continues, a beautiful and harmonious dance of piano and violin - soft, then **_strong_ ** and dramatic, before it drifts off into a soothing melody. _This song is nothing short of a heart in love,_ and Madara understands this himself as he feels his own race with the notes, consumed by the music.

Before they both know it, the piece has reached its end and they sit in the afterglow of the dying echo of the last note from the piano.

Madara exhales, pulling the violin away from his neck before turning to face Leo. “That was amazing! You still got it, Leo-sa-”

The last of his sentence is cut short when Leo stands suddenly to his feet, fingers resting gingerly atop the piano keys as tears start to drip down his cheeks. This startles, Madara, leaving him stepping closer with a look of concern.

“Leo-san? Are you oka-”

“Why...?”

“Huh?”

“Even though I said I was going to give up music, I want to keep playing. _I want to play more._ I want-...” The desire to wipe his eyes is there, but the thought of making his hands leave the piano seems impossible right now.

The brunet hums, tapping his violin bow against his own shoulder pensively. “Leo-san, even if you were to give up on music, music will never give up on you - because music is something that lives inside you and everything you do. For people like us, even our pain, sorrow, and desire become our fuel for music.”

Leo doesn’t answer, merely staring down at the piano keys with a contemplative expression. The tears have stopped, and soon he stands to his feet before grasping Madara by the front of his shirt. “The music competition - I’ll participate!”

“Eh? Really!?” Madara visibly lights up.

“Yeah,” the redhead’s grip tightens slightly before loosening. “I want to prove to myself I belong there, that it’s okay to go back to that world. Mama, you’ll help me, won’t you?”

The taller can’t smile fast enough. “I thought you’d never ask.”

* * *

“There sure is a big outcome this year...” Madara muses aloud, studying the building as groups of people and musicians climb the stairs to enter the music hall.

Leo grumbles audibly next to him, munching on a half-finished taiyaki with one hand while the other carries a bag of clothes over his shoulder chosen specifically for his performance.

“What’s with that growling, Leo-san? Today’s a glorious day!”

“I saw that Keito earlier, do you know what that means? That means Tenshi is with him.” Leo finished the rest of his taiyaki hurriedly, licking his fingers afterwards. “I really don’t want to see that guy right now. Actually, I could do without seeing anyone from school.”

The taller laughs, wrapping an arm around his company’s shoulder before beginning to lead him towards the entrance of the music hall. “Don’t worry, Leo-san! It’s a coincidence. You just focus on yourself and the music you’re going to play.” Naturally, he says **_nothing_ ** about the threat he made to Eichi just before running into Leo in front of the building. He wants this to go well too, for _Leo’s_ sake.

Leo sighs heavily, giving Madara a worried frown. “Y’know, I wish I had your nature, Mama. If I did, things would probably be easier for me.”

“Hmm... I don’t think that’d really be the case.” Madara answers as he opens up a glass door, allowing the other to walk in ahead of him before following after. He smiles wide before giving a laugh and rubbing the back of his head. “After all, I’m a selfish jerk that left my old unit to be a solo unit! You wouldn’t want a rep like mine.”

The redhead gives him a confused stare, but Madara doesn’t dare clarify his words or explain how he can say such a thing so happily. He only rests both hands on Leo’s shoulder, leading him down a nearly empty hall away from the bustle of those who were viewing the event instead of playing in it. They pass a few musicians conversing with each other, some of which wave at the brunet leading Leo down the hall.

Unconsciously, the composer feels himself clench tightly around the strap of his bag as they enter a waiting room, though no one seemed to be in it aside from them. It was a bit of a relief for Leo, who took a step forward out of Madara’s grip to step in front of the small dressing room, grabbing the curtain with one hand before glancing back at his company.

“I’m going to put these clothes on so I’m ready when it’s my turn.”

Madara leans against the table closest to the television hanging on the wall to televise the other performers that would be playing before their rivals. Pulling a folded piece of paper from his back pocket, the teen scans the paper with a hum before glancing over his shoulder.

“Says here you’ll be the 7th, Leo-san. Ain’t that great? It’s a lucky number!”

“Hmm, really?” Leo answers from behind the curtain, the sound of clothes being dropped or pulled on resounding with his answer. “Hope it’ll be a good omen, then.”

“Don’t worry, if it’s Leo-san, you’re totally gonna win!”

The curtain clatters as it’s pushed open, and the musician steps out in his new outfit. Hands smooth down the front of his forest green jacket, the design of piano keys covering the collar. Underneath is a white dress shirt, while his pants are standard black dress pants made for any occasion. Around his neck hangs what should be a red tie, though he’s yet to actually tie it.

“What do you think?”

Madara hums, cupping his chin as he looks his friend over. His humming goes on for a bit too long, to the point Leo can’t help but give a look of confusion. He opens his mouth to ask what’s wrong, but Madara gets ahead of him as he finally responds, “You look great! There’s one thing missing, though. I brought it with me, though!”

“Brought... What?”

The brunet grins happily, reaching into his pocket to pull something out before kneeling in front of Leo. He grabs at the redhead’s belt loops, making Leo jump for a moment, but he gives no complaint and merely waits for Madara to step back after he’s finished and give a childish ‘tada!’. Leo stretches out a leg to study the item that seems to be a gold chain, decorated with music symbol charms.

“What’s this?”

“I thought it suited Leo-san quite well, so I bought it yesterday!”

Leo snorts, lifting a hand to muffle his laughter. “It reminds me of the star one you have on your unit uniform.”

“Oh-! Now that you mention it, it kinda does! Guess we sorta match now.” Madara laughs as he steps closer, reaching out to gently grasp the ends of Leo’s tie to begin tying it for him. “Really, you look great, Leo; like a worldwide famous classical musician right outta the old books.”

Leo gives a smile at the words, watching his companion’s hands work with his tie. _We match, huh..._ “Hey - Mama...”

“Yep?” said male answers as he finishes Leo’s tie.

The smaller hesitates, folding his hands in front of him and staring down at them contemplatively. “... Do you regret leaving Ryuseitai? Aren’t you lonely being by yourself?”

This time, Leo doesn’t get a response right away. Madara is silent for some time, but eventually he lifts a hand to rub at the back of his neck with a wry smile as he looks away. “... Like I told ya earlier, I’m just a selfish jerk that ditched my own unit.”

“ _You’re not a jerk._ Mama, you act always carefree and that you just go where the fun takes you, but you’re more than that. You know that too. You’re a genius in your own right, no one can deny that.”

Madara gives a light sigh of defeat, folding his arms over his chest. Leo looks up at him expectantly - and God, he can’t say no to that face. “If I had to think of a reason why I did it, it’s probably... for the future of Ryuseitai, a _new Ryuseitai_. If I had stayed, things wouldn’t have changed. Chiaki-san would still be that unconfident guy with glasses, and Kanata-san wouldn’t have people to call family. They can be mad at me if they want, hate me all they like, but in the end... Well, Ryuseitai just doesn’t need me. So long as they don't come to hate themselves, I'm satisfied.”

“Doesn’t need you, huh...”

“But, you’re different from me, Leo-san! Knights isn’t Ryuseitai, and you’re not me,” Madara lifts a hand to rest it on Leo’s shoulder, squeezing lightly. “Knights need their king, so they're definitely waiting patiently for you to return.”

_Knights need their king._

Somehow, Leo can’t keep himself from giving a smile, one he decides to hide by headbutting Madara in the chest before giving him a tight hug. It makes Madara jump, but eventually Leo feels a hand rest on his back and pat him gently - _reassuringly, lovingly._

“Thank you, **Madara**.”

* * *

“Tsukinaga Leo-san? It’s time to wait backstage.”

“Oh, uh, r-right!”

Leo stands up robotically from his chair, making it clatter in the process that makes him wince. He gives an apologetic smile to the man holding a clipboard at the entrance of the door, and he receives a reassuring one in kind as he leads Leo down the hall, turning another that leads towards a dark room. Further into it, the redhead can see the bright lights of the mains stage, shining down on a sleek grand piano. The player before him is still in the middle of their piece, the sound of music flowing through the air and causing goosebumps to rise on his skin.

_Can I do this? Should I be doing this? I should leave, I should leave, I sh-_

His thoughts are interrupted by hands pressing over his ears, muffling the sound of the piano.

“That’s not your song, Leo-san. Don’t be swallowed up in the music.” Madara’s voice is calm and soothing in his ear, making the shorter relax.

Before he knows it, the song the person on stage was playing ends, soon followed by the clapping of the crowd that seems to wash away the sound of the keys like waves. He wonders - will that be what happens when he finishes? Will it be washed up by clapping almost as soon as the last note is played, brushed away as if it were a mediocre performance? **He’s scared.** What a pathetic king he is, even though he has people waiting for him, he’s scared to do what he does best.

“Tsukinaga-san, it’s your turn.”

Will it be enough?

For the crowd, for him, to find the closure he seeks?

Madara squeezes Leo in a tight hug, lifting him up off the ground. “You can do it! I’ll be right here for you the entire time!”

“W-Woah, hey - Mama, put me down!”

The brunet acquiesces with a snicker, setting him back down on his feet before giving him a gentle push forward against his back. “It’s your time to shine, _Ou-sama_.”

Leo’s legs move forward on their own, as if propelled by the very title itself, as if the very weight of all those waiting for him is put into the hand Madara presses against his back. He steps out from the shadows into the bright light of the stage, greeted with anticipating silence and leering eyes. Whatever fear might’ve been in his heart disappears in that moment, replaced with an undeniable feeling he hasn’t felt in months - the feeling of excitement to be on the stage, to perform for others.

A smile tugs at his lips as he takes a seat, tugging it a half-inch closer while resting a foot on one of the pedals at the bottom, hands hovering above the glistening black and white keys.

 

_For people like us, even our pain, sorrow, and desire become our fuel for music._

_Knights need their king._

Inhale, exhale, inhale -

 _Wait for me. This song is for you, for us - for_ **_Knights_ ** _._

It is in that moment that fingers meet the keys of the piano, and the room is engulfed with the sound of the young man’s playing - loud, dramatic, near desperate within the very moment the music starts; a perfect description of Tsukinaga Leo’s heart as it stood now in the present, desperately seeking its own resolve.

A smile tugs at Madara’s lips, eyes closing with a firm nod as he flips open his phone and presses a button, holding it up towards the boy on stage. “Chopin’s Etude Opus 10, Number 12 - Chopin’s _Revolutionary Etude_.”

No song suits the return of a **king** more.

A string of notes in minor, the sharpness of the pressing of major overlapping - it’s a dynamic that leaves the entire room in silence, completely engulfed in the story the music tells and the sway of Leo’s body and the movement of his fingers. As if he’s in a trance-like state, green eyes flick to and fro with the movement of his hands.

 _Play, play -_ **_louder, let them hear it!_ **

The musician grits his teeth, inhaling sharply as his fingers move, physically restraining himself from nearly **banging** on the keys in desperation.

_I’m a king! I don’t want to fall anymore - I won’t!_

The fact Keito and Eichi are somewhere in the crowd flutters into his mind, and in an act of defiance, he spares a look into the crowd. Nowhere in particular, but knowing that Emperor, he’ll know - he’ll be able to tell.

_Feast your eyes on the king of Knights._

The song softens, and in the last few seconds, it sharpens, dramatic as his fingers dance along the keys and ends with 3 sharp bang of notes. His hands linger in the air, he realizes his hard he’s breathing, and the crowd is silent. Slowly, Leo lowers them to his side, standing to his feet to face the crowd, taking a few seconds to catch his breath before he bows.

And just before the sinking feeling of despair starts, the crowd bursts into cheers as they stand to their feet, some whistling or shouting. It makes the teen stand upright with a look of surprise, whipping his head to look at Madara who’s just lowered his phone with a smile, giving a thumbs up with his free hand. An elated smile makes its way onto Leo’s face, and after he bows a few more times to the crowd, he runs off stage in a hurry directly into Madara’s arms to nearly tackle him to the floor.

Being taller and more physically fit, it only makes him stumble a few feet backwards, laughing in amusement as Leo leans back to meet his gaze with a smile as bright as the sun.

 **_There’s_ ** the Leo he knows and loves with all his heart.

“Did you see that, Mama!?”

“I did! You were amazing!”

The voice from a speaker calls for a 15 minute intermission before the other players continue, and Madara takes that moment to step away and pick up a bouquet of flowers sitting on a nearby table. Having asked someone to go buy some for him before Leo had officially gone on stage, of course, because missing a moment of his song would be blasphemy. He offers them out for Leo to take, who hugs them close with a smile. 

“Thank you... For everything.”

"What are you talking about? Everything you did was your own power alone. I only gave you a shove onto the stage." Madara snickers, wrapping an arm around one of Leo’s shoulders as he leads him out the door, pausing when he sees a group of people flowing into the main room down the hall. “Hey, your fans are all there waiting to ask for your autograph~”

“What? Don’t be silly.”

“I ain’t! You left an impression on them! C’mon, go go go~! I’ll join ya in a sec to save you!” The taller boy shouts, shoving Leo forward that forces him to jog a few quick steps forward.

“Wah - J-Jeez, fine! You better come up in a few or I’m going to drag you out with me by your braids!”

“Yes, yes~” Madara grins, waving until Leo disappears out of sight. It’s only then he brings his phone back out of his pocket and flipping it open. He creates a new text message, adding an audio file before choosing the contact labeled ‘Arashi-san’. Thumb presses over the green button to send, and soon he gives a pleased hum once his phone successfully sends the message.

“Quite the generous type, aren’t you, Mikejima-kun?”

“Wuh-!” The unexpected voice makes him jump, turning his head to glare at the undeniable face of Eichi Tenshouin. Alongside him, unsurprisingly, is Keito. “Eichi-san... It’s rude to sneak up on people. Keito-san, you should scold him more.”

“Scolding is one thing, Eichi actually  _ listening  _ to my scolding is another matter entirely.” Keito sighs in response, folding his arms over his chest.

“That aside, the message you just sent was to Narukami-kun, wasn’t it?” Eichi continues, tapping his chin. “A recording of Tsukinaga-kun’s performance, I’m assuming? Why? What do you get out of it?”

“Nothing.” Madara shrugs, pocketing his phone. He smiles off in the direction Leo had disappeared off to. “It’s just that - no matter what I need to do, no matter what it takes, I want to help Leo-san with all my power. Even if it means sacrificing myself, he deserves to return to the stage with Knights. I want to believe in that desire, and in him.”

The blonde gives an interested hum in response, but says nothing.

“Anyway, I’m gonna go meet up with him again before he comes back to find me. The next half of the competition is in 15 minutes, and after that is our Orchestra performance. See ya around.”

With that, the brunet runs off down the hall in a flash - though that’s only expected of the leader of the track team, one could suppose.

Eichi gives a soft laugh into his hand, which earns him a curious stare from his company. “Sacrificing himself and the feelings he won’t show for the sake of another... That’s Ryuseitai for you, Keito.”

Keito can only sigh in a way that sounds like agreement, watching as Madara disappears out of sight.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you want to listen Chopin's Revolutionary Etude, the song Leo is playing in his performance, you can listen to it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2vLEQno9Ks).


End file.
